What is the best pose for increasing energy?
Backbends and back-strengthening postures- without a doubt- backbends and back-strengthening postures. Poses like Salabasana, Dhanurasana, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Ustrasana and Urdhva Dhanurasana are such powerful poses and leave me feeling equally powerful, open, exhilarated and rejuvenated. Many of us spend the majority of our days sitting at a desk, hunching over a computer, rounding our spines, closing off our chests and hearts and focusing our energy in a downward direction. The movement of creating a smooth and even arc in the spine is an incredibly therapeutic solution to this energy-depleting lifestyle of sitting that real life can often require of us. By awakening the spine, opening the chest and heart, stretching and strengthening the quadriceps, and, most importantly, connecting powerfully to the breath, backbends will likely leave you feeling an awakened sense of exhilaration.
It is super easy to allow yourself to be allured by the beauty and benefits of deeper backbends, but is important to remember that they are physically and emotionally complex postures. Because of the opening that occurs across the chest, backbends awaken and draw awareness to the heart center (anahata chakra), which can have varying effects on different people. We all come into these postures with our own unique set of life experiences that directly contribute to what actually happens for us and to us within a posture, on both the physical and emotional level. Because many of us can tend to store a lot of emotion, hurt, and maybe even regret in our heart centers, it is not uncommon to experience a release of emotion after accessing this space through backbending. But, don’t let that scare you away. Instead, maybe allow it to draw you deeper into the moment, knowing that whatever comes up is only temporary. Just watch it rise and then watch it fall. Chances are, letting go and getting rid of whatever comes up might serve to liberate and even enliven you from one degree to another.
Now don’t just step away from the computer and attempt to launch yourself into a full expression of Urdhva Dhanurasana! It is important to appropriately prepare your body before moving into these backbends. Here is a short sequence that you can do at home to get yourself good and ready for those energy increasing backbends.
5 Surya Namaskara A (Depending on your strength and flexibility and how you are feeling when you practice, you can choose to move through Chaturanga Dandasana to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana to Adho Mukha Svanasana or take a modified variation and lower all the way down from plank to Bhujangasana, through Child’s pose to Adho Mukha Svanasana.)
3 Surya Namaskara B
Core Strengthening for 3-5 minutes
Salabasana
Dhanurasana
Child’s pose
Virasana (Hero’s Pose)
Setu Bhandasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Supta Bada Konasana
Paschimottanasana
Savasana
Much Love,
Jennifer